Pages

Pages

Friday, December 29, 2017

I have a super fun post today sharing my December Ellie Activewear box! This month was full of fun, color-blocking, and bright colors (my favorite). And you can still get it from Ellie for just a few more days!

I know I've mentioned before, but I think Ellie is the only monthly subscription box I can easily justify. With the new year dawning in just a few days, and new year's resolutions and goals just ready to be made, I think this is the perfect way to motivate yourself to get fit, or at least to stay active. I know I personally do so much better with exercising if I have a cute outfit on ;). So do yourself a favor, and sign up for a box you'll actually enjoy, use, and benefit from in the long-term!

You can shop all Ellie HERE: past outfits, the above outfit, and signing up for the January box too! I already have a sneak peek of the January box and it's pretty cute! Plus, you can always use the code LATTE15 at checkout for 15% off your first purchase! So get shopping, and get excited!

Monday, December 25, 2017

For unto us a child is born,
Unto us a son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6-7

Merry Christmas to everyone!

I hope you all are blessed beyond belief today with the "stuff" that matters: family, faith, and hope. The blog is going to be undergoing some changes in this upcoming week, so stay tuned for some surprises. I've been planning a new reveal here for awhile, and I think the new year is a perfect time to unveil!

Friday, December 22, 2017

If you're still hunting for a last-minute gift for a friend, sister, mother, and daughter, I have a great suggestion! Run to CVS and pick up a few of these beautiful Promise Organic products. I guarantee they will love it! I have been using these products for almost a year now, and am so impressed by both the quality, and the price. The packaging is adorable, and I've already gone through several tubes of their facial scrubs (both the coconut and the argan oil are amazing). Every single product smells delicious, and the best part is that they are safe and nourishing to your skin.

So if you're needing a last minute gift for the women in your life, grab a few color-coordinating products from the Promise Organic line, and wrap them up for a delightful surprise!

The above products were provided to me in exchange for review by BOLD PR + Promise Organics. All opinions are my own.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go see a wonderful rendition of A Christmas Carol. It was so beautifully done, and always puts me in the Christmas Spirit! We enjoyed a wonderful meal prior to the performance, wandered through the shops full of Christmas decorations and beautifully donned trees. I chose one of my favorite holiday looks: a simple black dress, cute tights, statement pearls, and a hat. I am SO in love with hats, and love that I can get away with wearing them all winter long! I was totally born in the wrong era! You can shop the look below.

Monday, December 18, 2017

Can you believe this is the last full week before Christmas?! I'm so excited to spend time with family, open gifts, bake, and enjoy our family traditions. Plus, I took the week off of work for a MUCH needed vacation.

I thought it would be fun to share a few of my Christmas traditions, new and old. And I would love to hear about your own!

1. My family has always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. And instead of a more formal meal, we always have a huge buffet of sandwich fixings, fruit salads, cookies, chips and dip, and my favorite, rainbow sherbet with ginger ale. We usually have a more formal, elegant dinner on Christmas Day, but I have to say, my favorite meal of the year is on Christmas Eve!

2. I have been making gingerbread men every Christmas for years, and finally found the perfect recipe for them that even those die-hard anti-gingerbread folks will like. I love shopping for the icing and candies to decorate them with!

3. My mom and I usually bake together right before Christmas, and aside from the gingerbread, we also make sugar cookies. They are a necessary Christmas dinner staple!

4. We open our stockings on Christmas morning, but as we have all gotten older, it's usually more of an exciting thing for my niece and nephew because they find little treats and trinkets in their stockings that kiddos love.

5. My sister, brother-in-law, mom, and I all play instruments (and so does my nephew now too!), so we all get together in the living room, with the Christmas Tree sparkling, and play carols together. It's really fun to have strings, brass, and piano all together, and there's always a whole lot of laughter breaking through the music (usually because I, the trumpet player, have to transpose all the music in my head that the strings and piano are playing... and let's just say, that can be interesting sometimes!) My favorites are Silent Night and Joy To World.

6. Our church always has a special Christmas dinner, with mashed potatoes, roasts, corn, gravy, and all the trimmings, and it's one of my favorite events of the year.

7. I always get (and wrap) something little for Lexi, my sweet furr-ball. Yes, she is terribly spoiled, isn't she! ;) This year, I found the cutest little farmer mouse filled with catnip, and I can't wait to give it to her. She will undoubtedly pat it right under the couch with the 900 other toys she's tossed under there in her playing. :)

8. I started a new tradition this year. I bought Christmas pajamas for myself and my family. I saw these Ralph Lauren plaid flannel jammies, and couldn't help myself! Aren't they adorable!

What are your Christmas traditions! Do tell!

Also, I have some really exciting new things coming to the blog in the new year, so stay tuned!

Monday, December 11, 2017

Oh goodness, what a busy week last week was. I had an event or appointment after every single work-day, and by the time I reached the end of it, was completely spent. I'm so thankful for a weekend before I gear up for another crazy hospital week.

I'm so excited for Christmas, I can barely contain it! I've been carefully planning for awhile, trying to find the right gifts for everyone in my family and also for my close friends and co-workers. I thought I'd share a wonderful gift idea for your friends, mothers, sisters, etc. who love beauty products. I was recently sent these Biossance products, and was immediately curious about what exactly Squalane oil was. Turns out, it's uber moisturizing, made from sugar cane, and formulated without all the bad stuff. And, it was originally developed and formulated at Berkeley! Isn't that awesome?

I've started using the eye gel nightly with my moisturizer and it's amazing. It doesn't have any scent that I have noticed, and it is super moisturizing. The Squalane oil is excellent for just about anything. Hair, skin, nails... it's the best all-purpose moisturizer. And can we talk about the packaging? Dreamy. I have a cute little vintage tray on my bathroom sink counter, and it looks divine next to my other beauty products and my topiary plant.

Monday, December 4, 2017

You may remember a post some time back featuring Maple Holistics. They were so kind to send me a few more goodies to try out! They sent me two products, the Argan Oil Shampoo and Essential Orange Oil. First off, the Argan Oil Shampoo is amazing! It smells great, leaves your hair feeling squeaky clean, and really seems to moisturize. As I have been trying to use more natural-based beauty products in the last few years, I have really fallen in love with Argan-containing products. I think it's the scent that makes it so wonderful, but it really is so incredibly moisturizing!

However, if it's possible to top the amazing scent of Argan, it comes in the form of this Orange Essential Oil. Wowzers. It's a straight up orange in a bottle. Natural Orange Oil is a fantastic antioxidant with amazing moisturizing properties, and also reduces blemishes. I'm super excited to use it in this holiday season around the house to add a festive scent to my home!

Maple Holistics also offers free samples, so be sure to check out their page HERE.

Is everyone ready for Christmas? For the first time in forever, I finally feel "on the ball" with Christmas. I have most of my shopping done (and wrapped!), and finished up my Christmas cards today. I'm looking forward to cookie baking and Christmas parties, and a few other fun events coming up in the next few weeks! Will share more on that soon!

Sunday, November 26, 2017

With all the awesome Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals flying around, I had to take the opportunity to let you know you can get 30% off your first box with Ellie Activewear right now! The November box is still available for a few more days, and is probably my favorite yet, just because the focus was more on "atleisure" than exercise, and that just seems so fitting for the holidays! :) I know for sure I needed a comfortable outfit after Thanksgiving this year!

Check out the Ellie Activewear site today, and if you've been thinking about signing up for THE best monthly subscription box, I would do it now! You're not going to find this deal for awhile! Plus, it's the perfect gift to yourself for the New Year because it motivates you to exercise and get in shape!

THIS DISCOUNT FOR CYBER WEEK HAS NOW ENDED. YOU CAN USE CODE LATTE15 AT ANY TIME TO GET 15% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Hello Friends! Happy Black Friday! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, filled with family, friends, and gratitude! I have completely enjoyed spending time with my family, eating LOTS of yummy things, experiencing adventures in deep-frying turkeys, and making pecan pie (yum)! I am excited to start planning and decorating for Christmas now, and love this time of year so much. I put this outfit together for Thanksgiving day as it was both comfortable yet cute. With the chilly temps we've been having, it is also warm and cozy too!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone! And be sure to check out my Chloe & Isabel Boutique (Link also in sidebar) for some truly AMAZING deals and doorbusters!

Hello Friends! Can you believe it is Thanksgiving week already?! Which means only a couple more weeks until CHRISTMAS! I've already started on my Christmas shopping so that I can try to relax and enjoy the first few weeks of December without stressing about my "To-Do" list. I am totally the person that won't decorate until the day after Thanksgiving, but I completely enjoy that part! I decided to put together a fun little wishlist of gift ideas perfect for the girly-girl in your life. I, for one, would be pleased as punch with any of these Vintage-inspired favorites. Plus, I've added a few more fun treats to peruse below.

Monday, October 30, 2017

I'm back to share probably my most favorite Ellie box yet (yes, I know I say that every month!). With the leaves changing and the collar temperatures in the air, I have loved being outside to soak it all in. Especially since Winter has a way of sneaking up on us before we have had a chance to process the last change of season. The October Ellie box is available for just a few more days, and it really is an excellent one! I would definitely snag this one before it's gone! This box comes with a gorgeous pair of longer running pants (I'm almost 5'10" so they look a little shorter on me- hazards of being tall), a matching purple short-sleeve top, and THE cutest zip-up in my collection! Each piece is by Marika Tek, and truly, is my favorite collection yet!

I've said it before, but I'm not crazy on monthly subscription boxes usually, but this one is TOTALLY worth it. The motivating factor alone is worth it. You also can choose from two options. You can receive just the 3-piece outfit for $39.95 or you can get a 5-piece set including two accessories for $49.95! Again, 100% worth it. Try it, and I promise you won't regret this one!